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Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Samuel 26:18

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Malice;   Self-Control;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Persecution;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Saul, king of israel;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Hachilah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed?
Hebrew Names Version
He said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
King James Version
And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "Why is my lord pursuing after his servant? For what have I done? And what evil is in my hand?
English Standard Version
And he said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands?
New Century Version
David also said, "Why are you chasing me, my master? What wrong have I done? What evil am I guilty of?
New English Translation
He went on to say, "Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What wrong have I done?
Amplified Bible
And David said, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?
New American Standard Bible
He also said, "Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sayde, Wherefore doeth my lorde thus persecute his seruant? for what haue I done? or what euill is in mine hand?
Legacy Standard Bible
He also said, "Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?
Contemporary English Version
Why are you after me? Have I done something wrong, or have I committed a crime?
Complete Jewish Bible
and continued, "Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What evil am I planning?
Darby Translation
And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
Easy-to-Read Version
Sir, why are you chasing me? What wrong have I done? What am I guilty of?
George Lamsa Translation
Then David said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hands?
Good News Translation
And he added, "Why, sir, are you still pursuing me, your servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed?
Literal Translation
And he said, Why is this, that my lord is pursuing his servant? For what have I done, and what in my hand is evil?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde morouer: Why doth my lorde so persecute his seruaunt? What haue I done? and what euell is there in my hande?
American Standard Version
And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
Bible in Basic English
And he said, Why does my lord go armed against his servant? what have I done? or what evil is there in me?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayde: Wherefore doth my lorde thus persecute his seruaunt? for what haue I done? or what euyll is in myne hand?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
King James Version (1611)
And he said, Wherefore doeth my lord thus pursue after his seruant? for what haue I done? or what euill is in mine hand?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for in what have I sinned? and what unrighteousness has been found in me?
English Revised Version
And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
Berean Standard Bible
And he continued, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid seide, For what cause pursueth my lord his seruaunt? What haue Y do, ether what yuel is in myn hond? Now therfor,
Young's Literal Translation
and he saith, `Why [is] this -- my lord is pursuing after his servant? for what have I done, and what [is] in my hand evil?
Update Bible Version
And he said, Why does my lord pursue after his slave? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Why doth my lord thus pursue his servant? for what have I done? or what evil [is] in my hand?
World English Bible
He said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
New King James Version
And he said, "Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand?
New Living Translation
Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime?
New Life Bible
Why is my lord coming after his servant? What have I done? What am I guilty of?
New Revised Standard
And he added, "Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on my hands?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said, Wherefore is it, that my lord is in pursuit of his servant? For what have I done? or what is in my hand that is wrong?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Wherefore doth my lord persecute his servant? What have I done? or what evil is there in my hand?
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on my hands?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He also said, "Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?

Contextual Overview

13Then David went across to the opposite hill and stood far away on the top of the mountain. With this safe distance between them, he shouted across to the army and Abner son of Ner, "Hey, Abner! How long do I have to wait for you to wake up and answer me?" Abner said, "Who's calling?" 15"Aren't you in charge there?" said David. "Why aren't you minding the store? Why weren't you standing guard over your master the king, when a soldier came to kill the king your master? Bad form! As God lives, your life should be forfeit, you and the entire bodyguard. Look what I have—the king's spear and water jug that were right beside his head!" 17By now, Saul had recognized David's voice and said, "Is that you, my son David?" David said, "Yes, it's me, O King, my master. Why are you after me, hunting me down? What have I done? What crime have I committed? Oh, my master, my king, listen to this from your servant: If God has stirred you up against me, then I gladly offer my life as a sacrifice. But if it's men who have done it, let them be banished from God 's presence! They've expelled me from my rightful place in God 's heritage, sneering, ‘Out of here! Go get a job with some other god!' But you're not getting rid of me that easily; you'll not separate me from God in life or death. The absurdity! The king of Israel obsessed with a single flea! Hunting me down—a mere partridge—out in the hills!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Wherefore: 1 Samuel 24:9, 1 Samuel 24:11-14, Psalms 7:3-5, Psalms 35:7, Psalms 69:4

what have I: 1 Samuel 17:29, John 8:46, John 10:32, John 18:23

Reciprocal: Genesis 20:9 - What hast 1 Samuel 29:8 - But what have Psalms 59:3 - not Psalms 109:3 - fought Psalms 119:78 - without Psalms 119:161 - Princes Jeremiah 37:18 - General Lamentations 3:52 - without Daniel 6:22 - and also Mark 14:48 - Are

Cross-References

Genesis 21:31
That's how the place got named Beersheba (the Oath-Well), because the two of them swore a covenant oath there. After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and his commander, Phicol, left and went back to Philistine territory.
Psalms 16:4
Don't just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I'll never treat god-names like brand-names.
Zechariah 13:2
"On the Big Day"—this is God -of-the-Angel-Armies speaking—"I will wipe out the store-bought gods, erase their names from memory. People will forget they ever heard of them. And I'll get rid of the prophets who polluted the air with their diseased words. If anyone dares persist in spreading diseased, polluting words, his very own parents will step in and say, ‘That's it! You're finished! Your lies about God put everyone in danger,' and then they'll stab him to death in the very act of prophesying lies about God —his own parents, mind you!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant?.... Suggesting that it was both below him to do it, and against his interest; for David was his servant, and he would gladly have continued in his service, and done his business, but he drove him from it, and pursued him as a traitor, when he had not been guilty of any offence to his knowledge: and therefore puts the following questions:

for what have I done? or what evil [is] in mine hand? what crime had he committed, that he was pursued after this manner, and his life sought for? what had he done worthy of death? having a clear conscience, he could boldly ask these questions.


 
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